Lamp shade support means



May 7, 1968 M. PIKE, JR

LAMP SHADE SUPPORT MEANS Filed Sept. 6, 1966 INVENTOR. MATTHEW L. PIKE, JR. BY fi/z 47j United States Patent 3,382,358 LAMP SHADE SUPPORT MEANS Matthew L. Pike, Jr., 173 Walnut, Marion, Ark. 72364 Filed Sept. 6, 1966, Ser. No. 577,477 2 Claims. (Cl. 240-108) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE rod-like shank flexibly secured from the shade by the spring so that the ends of the shank can be inserted in the socket of the base member to support the shade from the standard.

This invention relates to domestic type lamps and to incandescent table and floor lamps. The invention particularly relates to a means for supporting the lamp shade from the upright standard or body of a lamp.

In lamp manufacture and in the wholesale and retail lamp trade many different lam-p shade-lamp standard combinations are desirable; a lamp standard typically may be optionally fitted with one shade of many different shades. In custom shop lamp manufacture a desired lamp shade is often fabricated from wire ring sets and sheet fabric or plastic. A factor of considerable importance when fabricating a lamp shade or when mating a shade with a lamp standard is obtaining the desired drop of the shade or rather, adjusting the elevation of the shade relative to the standard. The desired drop is obtained by utilizing ring sets having vertically offset radial arms and also by selecting a certain harp member, that is, a harp-shaped support element which is vertically diametrically arranged about the incandescent bulb and which supports the shade. Heretofore, in order to provide a wide selection of lamp shade-standard combinations, the typical lamp dealer or manufacturer stocked a Wide variety of lamp shades, or if he fabricated the lamp shades, he stocked a wide variety of ring sets and harp members.

An object of the present invention is to provide a mechanically simple means for supporting a lamp shade from a lamp standard and to provide such means whereby the present practice of stocking large supplies of lamp shades or lamp shade fabricating parts is substantially eliminated.

A further object is to provide a lamp shade support means which supports the shade immediately from the lamp standard and thereby obviates the necessity of stocking harp members.

A further object is to provide a shade support means which reduces substantially the number or variety of ring sets stocked by a particular lamp manufacturer or dealer.

A further object is to provide such lamp shade support means which, by eliminating the use of a harp and by reducing the number of ring sets required, saves warehouse space.

A further object is to provide a lamp shade support means in which the drop of the shade is accurately set and with this being accomplished without the use of special harp members or ring sets having vertically offset radiating arms.

A further object is to provide a lamp shade support means which, by the elimination of the harp members in the fabrication of the lamp also eliminates the unwanted shadow image of the harp member on the shade.

A further object is to provide a lamp shade support means including radially arranged support arms individ- 3,382,358 Patented May 7, 1968 ually resiliently attached to the lamp shade and such arm members adapted to be displaced to and from an inactive unflexed straight disposition and an active flexed curved disposition: (1) The arm members of a lamp shade are each adapted to extend upwardly along the inside surface of the shade in said inactive unflexed disposition when said shade is disassembled from the lamp standard; (2) The arm members of a lamp shade are each adapted to be manually flexed inwardly and downwardly and secured in a radially extended configuration radiating about the lamp standard when the shade and standard are in an assembled configuration.

A further object is to provide lamp shade support means in which a number of lamp shades may be compactly nested together in shipment or storage and such means whereby the shades may be readily packaged securely without hazard of damage in shipment and without special packing sticks and spacers, as have heretofore been utilized in packing lamp shades.

The means by which the foregoing and other objects of the present invention are accomplished and the manner of their accomplishment will be readily understood upon reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of the lamp shade support means of the invention with the lamp shade and standard being shown in broken lines.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the support means.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken as on the line IIIIII of FIG. 2 and illustrating the lamp shade and standard in broken lines. a

In the drawings the lamp standard is indicated by numeral 11 and the lamp shade by numeral 13. The support structure of the invention is indicated by numeral 15 and includes a base member 17 firmly secured on standard 11 and an arm assembly 19 secured on shade 13.

Lamp standard 11 includes a tubular post 21 fixedly secured concentrically on a base 23 and an incandescent bulb 25 threadedly fitted in a bulb socket 27 which is fixed on the upper end portion of post 23. Shade 13 may be constructed of many different fabrics or sheet materials. Didactically, however, shade 13 will be considered to be in a simplified form and to be integrally constructed of plastic or other semi-rigid material. Shade 13 is tubular and generally frusto-conically formed and includes a body 29 and upper and lower circular portions 31, 33 respectively. Base member 17 is concentrically symmetrical and includes an apertured central portion 35 and three equiangularly arranged joint portions 37. Base member 17 is firmly secured on standard 11 with central-apertured por tion 35 concentrically arranged around tubular post 21. Joint portions 37 each are provided with a radially and substantially horizontally extending socket opening 39.

Arm assembly 19 preferably includes three arm mem bers 41 and stay means supporting the arm members from shade 13. Each arm member 41 preferably includes a heliical tension spring 43 an a rod-like shank 45 firmly secured in end to end relation. The corresponding end portions respectively of each spring 43 and shank 45 are turnably frictionally fixed together as indicated by numeral 47. The stay means of arm assembly 19 preferably includes a rigid stay ring 49 and three stay pins 51 fixed on and arranged equi-angularly about ring 49. Ring 49 is firmly secured to and extends along the circular extension of lower portion 33 of shade 13 and stay pins 51 respectively project generally upwardly and along the inside surface of the shade. Arm members 41 are firmly securel on stay ring 49 with corresponding end portions of tension springs 43 and stay pins 51 turnably frictionally fixed together as indicated by numerals 53. A medial portion 55 of each tension spring 43 is preferably formed of helical coils of smaller diameter than the helical "ice coils forming the opposite end portions of each spring so as to form stops for the ends of shank 45 and stay pin 51. From the foregoing it will be understood that each arm member 41 includes a resiliently flexible proximal spring portion 57 and a substantially rigid distal shank portion 59 including a joint portion 61.

Arm members 41 are adapted to be displaced to and from an inactive unflexed straight disposition and an active flexed curved disposition. The arm members are each adapted to extend upwardly along the inside surface of shade body 29 in an inactive unflexed disposition when the shade is disassembled from the lamp standard (see the broken line position of arm member 41 indicated by numeral 41 in FIG. 3). Arm member 41 of the lamp shade are each adapted to be manually flexed inwardly and downwardly and secured in a radially extending configuration radiating about the lamp standard when the lamp and standard are assembled. In assembling a shade and a lamp standard which include respectively the arm and base members of the invention, each arm member 41 is flexed downwardly and joint portion 61 is slidably fitted in a respective one of base socket openings 39.

The lamp shade support means of the present invention is mechanically simple but effective. Its use obivates the necessity of stocking large quantities of lamp shades or lamp shade fabricating parts. Its use eliminates the typical lamp shade supporting harp members and reduces the number of ring sets carried in stock by reducing the quantity of lamp shades and parts; warehousing space may be utilized more effectively. In storage or shipping, lamp shades may be closely nested together in a compact configuration. The nested shades are readily packaged without the use of special shipping containers or special packing sticks or spacer members.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that it is not to be so limited since changes and modifications may be made therein which are within the full intended scope of this invention as hereinafter claimed.

1 claim:

1. In a lamp including a standard and a tubular shade concentrically arranged relative to said standard, a support structure for removably supporting said shade from said standard comprising a base member firmly secured on said standard and including structure defining a horizontally arranged equi-angularly spaced plurality of socket openings, a like plurality of arm members with each including an axially resiliently flexible helical tension spring and a rod-like shank with an end portion thereof being concentrically secured in an end portion of said tension spring, a rigid stay ring firmly secured to and extending along the circular extension of said shade, a plurality of stay pins fixed on and arranged equi-angularly about said ring, each pin projecting upwardly from said ring, each arm member being supported by a respective stay pin with the free end portion of each arm member tension spring being concentrically secured on a respective stay pin, each arm member shank portion being removably 'slidably received in a respective socket opening of said base member.

2. A support structure as defined in claim 1 wherein the helical tension spring of each arm member includes a medial portion formed of helical coils of smaller diameter than the helical coils forming the opposite end portions of aid spring.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 394,38 8/1863 Wellman 240108 1,675,514 7/1928 Patterson 240108 1,817,091 8/1931 Miller 2409O 2,677,756 5/ 1954 Priester 240108 2,884,515 4/1959 Fogel 240108 NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner.

G. M. HOFFMAN, Assistant Examiner. 

